Many different varieties of chicken, ducks and geese wander around Mill Farm, and often you'll find them nesting in quiet corners of the old farm building or in the hen house. Eggs are also artificially incubated in the new life area and if you're very lucky you may see chicks breaking out of their shells. In the "new life" area, during spring and summer, there should be pens of chicks and ducklings of various ages, each labelled with a hatching date.

The activity session will involve handling of eggs from various birds, whilst considering the range of creatures that lay eggs. The operation of the incubators will be explained and there should be opportunity to "candle" eggs to see the growing embryo inside and discuss how it develops. Chicks of different ages will be handled, weighed and measured and their need for warmth, humidity and special feed will be discussed.

As with all farm based activities, it is essential that the children wash their hands as soon as possible after handling animals, and certainly before eating and drinking. Demonstrators will make this point several times through the session, but we rely on the vigilance of teachers and other adult helpers to ensure that hands are washed effectively and good hygiene practice is maintained

Curriculum Links

This session is directly aimed at children working at Levels A - B. The information given is in accordance with the 5 - 14 Environmental Studies Guidelines.

Attainment Outcome: Living things and the processes of life
Strand : The Processes of Life
Learning Outcome: To understand what kind of conditions new hatchlings need to live in to grow and stay healthy (Level A)
To recognise stages in the life cycle of a growing egg (Level B)

The above outcome is also related to the Renfrewshire Guidelines for Science P3 Unit 3, Lesson 4.